Supported Platforms
Braid is a macOS desktop application distributed as a DMG installer.
System requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS (Ventura 13.0 or later recommended) |
| Architecture | Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x64) |
| Distribution format | DMG |
Prerequisites
Install the following before running Braid.
| Dependency | Purpose | Install |
|---|---|---|
GitHub CLI (gh) | Required for GitHub integration -- fetching remote branches, PR checks, and repository operations. | brew install gh, then gh auth login |
| Claude CLI | Required for Claude AI sessions. Braid uses your CLI authentication by default. | Install and run claude to authenticate |
| Anthropic API key | Optional override if you prefer to use an API key instead of CLI auth. | console.anthropic.com |
Installation
- Download the DMG for your architecture (arm64 or x64).
- Open the DMG and drag Braid to your Applications folder.
- Launch Braid from Applications.
- On first launch, macOS may ask you to confirm opening an app from an identified developer. Click Open.
Verifying your setup
After launching Braid:
- Open a terminal and run
claudeto verify Claude CLI authentication. - Run
gh auth statusto verify GitHub CLI authentication. - Add a project from the sidebar to confirm Git integration works.
If gh is not installed or not authenticated, GitHub features like remote branch fetching and PR checks are unavailable. Claude sessions require either CLI auth or a custom API key set in Settings > AI.